Assets – Assets, when we talk about personal finance, are anything which can be converted into money. You decide how far you want to go here – your car, your house, your investments, your kidneys? No – your winning smile doesn’t count, although it might help you earn more.
Debts – Money you owe to outside entities. Your IOU to your father, your mortgage, your credit card bills… those are all debts. You have some agreement as to how that debt is structured, but you will have to meet the terms of the contract with future income or assets.
Inflows – The speed at which you accumulate things of value. This is usually money, but if you are paid with gold or trading cards, the same idea applies. Since you can convert those to cash (see #1), these count as inflows. The most popular ways to measure this are “dollars per year” or “dollars per month”.
Outflows – The speed at which you spend or use things of value. Again, usually money – but if your employer fills your gas tank or gives you a pile of food, it could be a good. This is also usually measured as dollars per month or year.
